Improvement in road-rammers



Road-Rammer.

v I 2 She-ets --Sheet 2.

A. [l- BUSS.

Patented June 22,1875.

nrrnn srnrns IMPROVEMENT IN ROAD-RAMMERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 164,877, dated June22,- 1875 application filed for which Letters Patent- No. 118,395 wereissued to me August 22, 1871, and consist, first, in a peculiar device,by which the rammers, in the short interval of time between their falland rise, are enabled to rest without dragging upon the ground, whilethe machine may be progressing forward or backward, in the process ofrolling second, in a peculiar device for guiding the falling rammers, soas to pro vide for the falling of the same in advance of the verticalline of fall, so as to permit a considerable rest upon the ground beforerising; third, in a peculiar device which providestfor the guiding ofthe falling rammers in advance of the vertical drop, whether the machineis moving backward or forward, this device embodying two sets offlexible guides operated by cross-shafts, so that either set may bereleased-and the other brought into position for operation in guiding;fourth, in a peculiar device for suspending the rammers when notrequired to be in operation; fifth, in a peculiar device forincreasingthe velocity of the falling rammers beyond the velocity due togravity; and, sixth, in a device for throwing the above out ofconnection when required; seventh, in a peculiar construction of therammer-heads, by which provision is made for the attachment ofdifferent-shaped shoes, for the operations of flat ramming or rough spading, for breaking up streets, &c.; eighth, in a peculiar form of spadefor attachment to the rammer-head; ninth, in a peculiar device forrelieving the sliding boxes of the rammers from being battered up by thejar of the falling rammers; tenth, in a peculiar construction of theperiphery of the rollers, which provides for the griping of the bowlderson the pavement to aid in propulsion.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine so far completed as toexhibit my present improvements. Fig. 2 is asection of one form ofshoe.. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of same April12, 1875.

form of shoe. Fig. 3 is a side view of the device for suspending therammers. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the end of themachine, bearing the rammers. Fig. 5 is a view of a modification of thedevice for suspending the operation of the mechanism which increases thevelocity of the falling rammers. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of thecross-bar which connects the hooks for supporting the rammers in thesuspended position.

Ais-the frame of the machine, which, in this case,.is an inclosedwater-tank, which can be used for the triple purpose of regulating theweight ofthe machine by the addition or subtraction of water; as a tankfor water to feed the boiler; and as atank to supply water 1 for afire-pump to be carried upon the machine. The frame is mounted on therollers B B B the forward one being adjustable laterally to guidethemachine, and the others attached to an engine, by which they arepropelled, the engine being operated by the boiler (l. The shaft D whichoperates the ram mers is driven by the same engine that operates thepropelling-rollers B B The engine, and gearing for connecting it to therammer-shaft and propelling-rollers, are not shown in the drawing,

as they may be of any desired construction, and connected in anysuitable way. The rollers B B may be smooth faced, as shown at B; but Iprefer that their peripheries shall be indented with concavities b, eachadapted to encompass the end of a bowlder, and act to prevent theslipping of the rollers on a bowldered street during the'act ofpropulsion. In

the drawing but one rammer is shown; but any numberof rammers may beused of the same construction, the figures 5 and 6 showing the deviceswhich connect the suspending hooks and the springs of the series oframmers together, when a series is used. The shaft D is provided withlifting-cams .E, for raising the rammers, the teeth of the cams playingbetween the side-rods of the rammers. Each rammer is constructed asfollows: F is the weight or head of the rammer, attached, as shown tothe two-sided rods G G, the latter being constructed to pass throughslots 9 in plate A, and swing upon the trunnions H which project fromthe ends of shaft I. The shaft I is fitted to slide within the verticalslot :A'IENT orrroa.

z in the sliding head J, which is perforated to fit over and slidevertically on the guide-rods K. Rubber bumpers L are fitted in the endsof the slot 13 to snugly embrace the shaft I, the rubber serving torelieve the head J from the shock of the fall, and to relieve it fromsudden shock when the cam commences to lift.

Rollers M are fitted to the trunnions H for the surface of the cam toride over, the rollers serving to diminish the friction on the cams, andto furnish a rolling-surface to lift against.

To increase the velocity of the fall of the rammer beyond what is due togravity I pro vide a cylinder, N, over each rammenhead, the cylinderhaving a spring, a, fitted within it, and a plunger, a, against whichthe head of the rammer strikes on the upward stroke. The retractileforce of the spring starts the rammer down at a velocity above what isdue to gravity. The operation of this spring may be suspended, whennecessary, by means of the lever 0, acting to compress the spring, sothat the head of the plunger escapes contact with the rising rammer.This lever may be sustained by the hinged and toothed handle P engagingover the plate A. This handle is adapted to act upon a single springonly; but where a number of rammers are used the levers 0 may be liftedsimultaneously by the shaft R, pulleys r, and chains 1".

A hook, S, is attached to the head J, by which the rammer may besuspended when necessary. The device for engaging with this hook forsuspension is as follows: A corresponding hook, T, is pivoted to theframe t, which connects the guide-bars, its upper end having a lightflat spring, t, attached, which passes through a slit in the cross-shaftV.

The spring serves to assist and provide for the hooking when the shaft Uis liberated; but the shaft U (which may extend so as to embrace thesprings of all the rammers on the machine) may be moved by any properleverage, so as to throw the hooks T to one side and prevent it actingto suspend the rammer, and in this condition the rammers are permittedto make regular successive strokes.

By reason of the rammers being permitted to swing on the lifting-head Jin the slots 9, the machine may be made to progress in its forward orbackward course-including, of course, the interval between the blow ofthe rammer and the next lift-without the rammers having to drag on theground, as, in the forward or backward motion of the machine during thisinterval, the rammer swings on its trunnions while resting on theground.

In order to permit a long rest without making a long slot, g, I providefor the dropping of the rammer out of the perpendicular, and againstthat end of the slot which is in the advance, as the machine progresseseitherbackward or forward, so that the side rods G G may travel thewhole length of the slot while the rammer rests on theground. Toaccomplish this when the machineis running backward I employ the springsV in the position shown in Fig. 1. They press against the edges of thebars G G, as shown, and, as the rammer descends, force it over in thedirection of the motion of the machine, so that when it drops it is thenso far forward of its center line that it is enabled to rest on theground the full length of the slot, while the machine steadilyprogresses, the spring giving Way in this motion of the machine.

When the machine is traveling forward I use the springs W in the sameway, and relieve the springs V from connection. To accomplish this Ihave the springs attached to shafts X, which are connected by levers andlink to the rod Y, the projecting end of which drops into one or theother of the three notches of the plate Z. The center notch holds thesprings equally away from the rods, as seen in Fig. 4, and the machineis then adapted for ramming while stationary.

In machines of this class heretofore no provision has been made by whichthe machine can be converted into one of a different class; but in themachine herein illustrated I have designed means by which it may beconverted into a fire-engine for use on roads where fire apparatus isinaccessible, and to this end I provide a steam-pump, a I), whose pumpmay be so connected and constructed that it may draw water from tank A,and, when that is empty, may use ordinary suction-hose to pump from awell or cistern, and thus do continual duty as a fire-engine. The lowerend of each rammerthat is, the head F-is grooved at f to receivedetachable and interchangeable shoes 0, which are provided with ribs dto match the grooves, and are secured by screw d.

For breaking up street I have designed the shoe shown clearly in Figs. 2and 7, which has projecting teeth 6, as shown, for entering the groundin the manner of a spade.

I claim 1. The combination of sliding head J H and swinging rammers F G,operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the swinging rammers F Gr, the spring V or Woperating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In combination with the swingingrammers F G, the alternating springsV W, operated substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of rammer-hook S, pivoted hook T, spring t, andcross-shaft U, subtantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In combination with the rammer-heads F the cylinder N, spring a, andplunger or, operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of cylinder N, spring a, plunger n, and lever 0,connected and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The rammer-head F constructed grooves f, for attachment ofinterchangeable shoes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

with

8. The shoe or spade c d, having projecting ties or circularindentations 11, substantially teeth 6, substantially as and for thepurposes as and for the purpose specified. specified. p In testimony ofwhich invention I hereunto 9. The combination of sliding head J i, setmy hand. I Y trunnion-shaft I, and rubber springs L, operat- I A. Q.ROSS. ing substantially as and for the purpose Witnesses: specified.JOHN E. JONES,

10. The roller or rollers B having concavi- J. L. WARTMANN.

